The most thankful day of the year has come yet again, Thanksgiving. This day is filled with smiles and satisfied stomachs, as a plethora of food is made for hungry relatives. One of the best traditions of Thanksgiving is watching football.
This morning, a few hundred Franklin citizens gathered at Pisani Field to watch the Franklin Panthers play the King Philip Warriors in a classic Thanksgiving day football game. Unfortunately, the panthers fell short 21-42, but many students and parents still had a great time getting together on such a merry holiday.
This year, three games are being played, so football fanatics will be kept busy all day. The first matchup features the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers. The Lions started off the season hot with a 5-0 record, but lately they have been up and down from game to game. The Packers coming off a Super Bowl victory have yet to lose a game this season. Aaron Rodgers looks as good as ever, and no defense seems to have the answer for him. Ndamukong Suh needs to put some pressure on Rodgers in order for the Lions to keep the game close throughout.
The second game being played is a match between the Miami Dolphins and the Dallas Cowboys. The Dolphins have struggled this season to pull out some W’s, but they are coming into Dallas hot on a two game winning streak. The Cowboys have been up and down all season, and right now they sit at the top of the NFC East with a 6-4 record. If Miami wants to pull out a win in this game, they should force a few turnovers on Dallas. Tony Romo normally does not perform well after giving up the ball once or twice. The Dolphins should also work their running game which would help them with time of passion throughout the game. The offseason pickup of Reggie Bush has proved to be a wise decision, as he averages 4.3 yards per carry.
The final game of Thanksgiving features a brotherly matchup of the Harbaughs, as the San Francisco 49ers will do battle against the Baltimore Ravens. Coach Jim Harbaugh of the 49ers is in his first year of the NFL, and has surprisingly carried his team to a 9-1 record. John Harbaugh of the Ravens has the experience in this grudge match as he is in his 4th year of head coaching. He has lead the Ravens to a 7-3 record this year, and are fighting back and forth with the Steelers and the Bengals for the number 1 spot in the AFC North.
The world will be watching to see if the Lions can upset the Packers, the Dolphins can get out of Dallas with a surprising win, and which brother will come out victorious after Thanksgiving 2011.